Intermittent no electrical power

Tiny
CHIPPER4EVER
  • MEMBER
  • 1985 JEEP CJ7
  • 4.2L
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
So I have a plow on my vehicle, I was plowing a driveway when I hit a small dirt clod or something that jarred the vehicle a very small amount. When this happened my vehicle stalled, lights went out heater all of it. Now what I actually have for a jeep is a bit of a Franken vehicle. 1993 vehicle yj body sitting on a 1985 cj7 with the 4.2. I have a 3 speed automatic transmission. So since then I have gotten power back and lost it several times. So this being a Franken vehicle nothing is original. The fuse box is after market all of 10-15 fuses. The wiring under the "dash" I have no actual dash everything is steel and fiberglass. My heater, wipers, and back up lights are on a toggle switch. The headlight switch looks original the button on the floor board for my lights just turns the lights off. My turn signal is rigged on there it is not part of the steering column. So all this being said this is my daily driver believe it or not. I just bought it like a month ago. There are so many new parts it is insane but I am left with electrical issues and all of maybe 30 wires between inside and out and I think that is a high estimation. All of my gauges or aftermarket as well except the speedometer. So back to the issue at hand. This issue is not cut and dry it will no longer start or turn any power on. This is a frequent but intermittent issue. I can't drive it because It sometimes takes seconds to crap out or a couple miles. I have checked the grounds I have tested them, the battery terminals are new, most of the wires are new. The battery and alternator are new. The voltage meter is not hooked to the alternator via the excite wire but directly to the battery. So even when I have no power the volt meter reads 12 volts and yes it functions. I do not have fusible links that I can see. The fuse box is aftermarket and new. The fuses are new. This jeep was just pure hated a month ago and this issue is hurting my head. I need help. To avoid hours of diagnostics tomorrow I am likely just going to rewire it. It seems that there have been others on this forum with similar issues but the fixes do not seem to solve my problem.
Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 4:53 PM

13 Replies

Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
I'm pretty good with a stock or even sort of stock CJs.

Yours is sounding like a real challenge.

Before we get too deep here in the beginning, can you:

Lay your hood against the windshield frame. Remove the breather and take me a really good, well lit left side/ right side/ overhead pic of the engine. Over the years things get changed, I might just catch something that needs attention in a good picture!

Maybe a few extras around the distributor, the ignition module and the solenoid (or starter relay).

Any other extra pics/ views will be appreciated!

Your next response:

Key on/ or whatever you do. Tell me what the voltage is at your positive coil wire. See my crude pic below.

The Medic
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Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 6:11 PM
Tiny
CHIPPER4EVER
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I will take pictures in the morning before we start the project.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 6:18 PM
Tiny
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Oh crazy question, where should the ignition module be? I know where the solenoid is.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 6:20 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
Could be anywhere under the hood, it might be kind of hidden, it might be horizontal or vertical. On the fenders or on the firewall. Different years had different locations. Pictures of it's wires and connectors will be helpful.

Here's a few pictures I have of different Jeeps to look for it.

The Medic
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Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 7:07 PM
Tiny
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  • 30 POSTS
Okay, thank you. After reading a pile of your threads trying to learn all I can I am a little better armed. I wish I could go out and do all this now but it is 10:00 pm and 6 degrees out and wind just a cranking so I will wait. So I am looking at you guy pics and all your cj's seem to be missing a brake booster. My yj body has one. It interferes with any real kind of air breather. So the previous owner hooked up a "cold air intake" made of PVC. It is terrible and I would love to replace it. Any suggestions for an air breather. Also my valve cover gasket leaks about a quart of oil every 200 miles I here this is sorta common. Any opinion on the aluminum replacement valve cover or any tricks to replace e the original gasket without it just leaking again. I see no cracks in the plastic valve cover.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 7:16 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
Trying to abide by 2CarPros S.O.P (we used to wing it!) Now days they try to keep things filed so that others can find specific fixes later.

No biggie!

We must do this first fix, first, on this thread.

Any additional fixes are supposed to use a whole new question for each one. If you like my responses, please ask for me in the new question's introduction.

I'll be glad to address your other concerns as soon as possible, let's get you running first!

The Medic
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Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 8:22 PM
Tiny
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I sorta figured that but I thought I would ask, thank you for your support.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2019 AT 8:24 PM
Tiny
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Okay, here are a bunch of pictures still not seeing the ICM.
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Sunday, November 17th, 2019 AT 5:53 AM
Tiny
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So I do not see the ignition coil either. I am a bit lost at this point as to how this thing even runs.
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Sunday, November 17th, 2019 AT 9:16 AM
Tiny
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So I guess the coil is part of this fancy distributor.
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Sunday, November 17th, 2019 AT 11:14 AM
Tiny
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It was a power wire from the battery to fuse box. Problem solved.
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Sunday, November 17th, 2019 AT 5:32 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
I'm just that good, huh?

LOL!

Glad you got it figured out.

A little earlier I grabbed your pictures, put them with mine and started editing them, mostly lightening them up so I could start gazing them over.

Well, if you want, crank out some new questions of of the things you might want to repair.

The Medic
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Sunday, November 17th, 2019 AT 5:47 PM
Tiny
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I already posted a new question. Thank you. I did learn a lot about the Jeep during this.
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Sunday, November 17th, 2019 AT 5:59 PM

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